About Me

I am an assistant professor in the Language, Literacy, and Culture Program and an affiliate assistant professor in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at UMBC.

In my research I study language in its social context, with a focus on American English — specifically Southern English, Appalachian English, and African American English. I explore language as both a symbolic resource in the construction and negotiation of identities and cultures, and as a central mechanism in the reproduction of social inequalities. My research addresses some of the most chronic issues that contribute to the opportunity gaps in U.S. education, including the acquisition of literacy skills and student-teacher communication and miscommunication. My research, as well as my teaching and engagement, reflect my longstanding personal commitment to conduct and apply academic research within a social justice framework.

My book, Understanding English Language Variation in U.S. Schools, co-authored with Dr. Anne H. Charity Hudley, has been published in the Teachers College Press Multicultural Education Series. Order it through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or TCP.

I am also the co-editor of Data Collection in Sociolinguistics: Methods and Applications, a forthcoming Routledge volume, with Becky Childs, and Gerard Van Herk.

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My CV provides a complete overview of my professional information. Please contact me <mallinson AT umbc DOT edu> for more information.